Humidor

ABSTRACT

A humidor for transportation of one or more cigars can comprise a receptacle having a cavity therein, one or more first repositionable means for inhibiting movement of one or more cigars in a first direction within the cavity, and one or more second repositionable means for inhibiting movement of one or more cigars in a second direction within the cavity. Movement of one or more cigars within the humidor can be restricted by positioning at least a first retaining piece within the cavity to inhibit movement of one or more cigars in a first direction and positioning at least a second retaining piece within the cavity to inhibit movement of one or more cigars in a second direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to humidors, and more particularly totravel humidors.

2. Description of the Related Art

A cigar that is dry burns too quickly and causes the cigar to have abitter and/or harsh taste. On the other hand, a damp cigar does not burneasily and is therefore difficult to draw. Therefore, cigars aregenerally kept in humidors to maintain a relative humidity of about68-72% to preserve the taste and draw of the cigars. Additionally, whencigar smokers travel with cigars, they frequently transport their cigarsin a travel humidor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of at least one of the embodiments disclosed herein includesthe realization that cigars shift within conventional travel humidorsduring transportation and the cigars' fragile wrappers, binders, andfillers can become damaged. Humidors typically have a lid that includesa cavity or recess to facilitate sealing closure of the humidor. Changesin humidity can cause wooden lids of integral construction to warp,allowing air movement between the interior and exterior of the humidorand, thus, inhibiting the maintenance of a constant desirable humiditylevel within the humidor. Furthermore, humidors have a receptacleconfigured to accommodate cigars, which typically has a portion thatextends upwardly into the recess in the lid when the humidor is closedand provides a close mating fit with the recess in the lid to inhibitmovement of air between the interior and exterior of the humidor.Therefore, humidor lids are typically constructed of multiple pieces andinclude a recess in the lid. The recess allows movement of the cigarstoward the lid and/or into the recess during transportation of cigarswithin such a humidor. Such movement of the cigars within the humidorcan result in damage to the cigars' wrapper, binder, and/or filler.Thus, it is desirable to inhibit movement of cigars within a travelhumidor to reduce the likelihood of damage to any cigars within thehumidor. While some cigars are packaged in cellophane, cellophaneprovides only limited protection against physical damage and changes inhumidity.

Thus, in accordance with at least one of the embodiments disclosedherein, a humidor comprises a receptacle, a lid, a first retainingpiece, and a second retaining piece. The receptacle comprises a bottomand first, second, third, and fourth sides. The receptacle has a cavitytherein defined at least in part by the bottom and sides. This firstside and second side are substantially parallel. The distance betweenthe first and second sides defines a cavity length. The third and fourthsides are substantially parallel. The distance between the third andfourth sides defines a cavity width. The lid is sized to cover thecavity. The first retaining piece is repositionable along the cavitylength and configured to resist displacement once positioned such thatmovement of one or more cigars within the humidor is inhibited in afirst direction. The second retaining piece is repositionable along thecavity width and configured to resist displacement once positioned suchthat movement of one or more cigars within the humidor is inhibited in asecond direction.

In accordance with at least one of the embodiments disclosed herein, ahumidor for transportation of one or more cigars comprises a receptaclehaving a cavity therein, a first repositionable means for inhibitingmovement of one or more cigars in a first direction within the humidor,and a second repositionable means for inhibiting movement of one or morecigars in a second direction within the humidor.

In accordance with at least one of the embodiments disclosed herein, amethod for restricting movement of one or more cigars within a humidorhaving a cavity therein to receive the one or more cigars comprises thesteps of positioning at least a first retaining piece within the cavityto inhibit movement of one or more cigars in a first direction andpositioning at least a second retaining piece within the cavity toinhibit movement of one or more cigars in a second direction.

All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of thepresent invention herein disclosed. These and other embodiments of thepresent invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in theart from the following detailed description of the preferred embodimentshaving reference to the attached figures, the invention not beinglimited to any particular preferred embodiment(s) disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features of the invention disclosed hereinare described below with reference to the drawings of the preferredembodiments. The illustrated embodiments are intended to illustrate, butnot limit, the invention. The drawings contain the following figures:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a humidor according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial view of a retaining piece.

FIG. 3 illustrates an arrangement of a plurality of retaining pieceswithin a receptacle of a humidor.

FIG. 4 illustrates an arrangement of a plurality of retaining pieceswithin a receptacle of a humidor.

FIG. 5 illustrates an arrangement of a plurality of retaining pieceswithin a receptacle of a humidor.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the humidor of FIG. 5 along line6-6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a humidor 100. Illustrated humidor 100comprises a receptacle 102 and a lid 104 connected by hinges 106, and aplurality of retaining pieces 108 a, 108 b.

The receptacle illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3-6 comprises sides 110 a, 110b, 110 c, 110 d and bottom 112. The sides 110 and bottom 112 togetherform, at least in part, a cavity 114 that is configured to accommodate aplurality of cigars 118. The sides 110 a and 110 c are shown assubstantially parallel. The distance between sides 110 a and 110 cdefines a width of the cavity 114. The sides 110 b and 110 d are alsoshown as substantially parallel. The distance between sides 110 b and110 d defines a length of the cavity 114.

In one embodiment, the cavity 114 has a length that correspond to afirst standard cigar size and a length that corresponds to a secondstandard cigar size. For example, the length of the cavity 114 can beslightly greater than the length of a Robusto cigar, while the width ofthe cavity 114 can be slightly greater than the length of a Churchillcigar. Other lengths and widths of the cavity 114 are also within thescope of the present invention. Furthermore, in some embodiments thecavity and/or humidor can have a non-rectangular shape.

The illustrated receptacle 102 also preferably comprises a lip 116 nearthe perimeter of the cavity 114. The lip 116 can be formed as a separatepiece or integrally with sides 110.

The lid 104 shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 comprises sides 120 a, 120 b, 120 c,120 d, top 122, cross members 126, and magnets 130. The sides 120 andtop 122 together form, at least in part, a recess 124. As may be seen inFIG. 6, lip 116 of receptacle 102 is in close proximity to the sides 120of lid 104. In some embodiments, the lip 116 and sides 120 may have aslight interference fit. A close or tight fit restricts airflow betweenthe interior and exterior of the humidor 100 while the lid 104 is closedto help maintain the relative humidity within the humidor 100.

In at least one embodiment, such as the embodiment illustrated in FIG.1, the humidor 100 comprises one or more cross members 126. The crossmembers 126 shown in FIG. 1 extend between sides 120 b and 120 d. Inother embodiments, the cross members can extend between sides 120 a and120 c, between sides 120 a and 120 b, or between sides 120 b and 120 c,for example. While the illustrated embodiment shows the cross members126 extending completely between two sides 120, in other embodiments thecross members 126 can extend only partially between sides 120. Also,while the illustrated embodiment shows the cross members 126 assubstantially parallel to sides 120 a and 120 c, in other embodimentsthe cross members 126 can be oriented at an angle to one or more sides120. Furthermore, while the cross members 126 illustrated in FIG. 6 abutthe top 122, in other embodiments the cross members 126 can be eitherintegrally formed with the top 122 or spaced from the top 122. The crossmembers can be curved or other shapes, configurations and/orarrangements.

The lid 104 of FIGS. 1 and 6 comprises two cross members 126, however,in other embodiments the lid can comprise fewer or more than two crossmembers 126. FIGS. 1 and 6 illustrate cross members 126 that have onepossible cross-sectional shape. Those of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that other cross-sectional shapes may be used, for example,cross-sectional shapes having square or rounded edges.

The lid 104 can comprise two magnets 130 attached to the lower side oftop 122, as illustrated in FIG. 1. In other embodiments, the lidcomprises fewer or more than two magnets 130. Magnets 130 can serve asattachment points for accessories, such as a humidifier or a hygrometer.Alternatively, other means may be used for attaching accessories.

A latch 128 can be used for holding the receptacle 102 and the lid 104closed. The latch 128 can comprise a magnetic latch as shown. Forexample, one of a magnet or a metal piece can be attached in one side ofthe receptacle 102, while the other of the magnet and metal piece can beattached to the lid 104 at a corresponding location such that the magnetattracts the metal piece to hold the receptacle 102 and the lid 104closed. Some embodiments of humidor 100 can comprise more than one latch128 and may comprise one or more non-magnetic latches, such as amechanical latch or other type of latch known to those of skill in theart.

The receptacle 102 and the lid 104 can be made from Medium-DensityFiberboard (MDF), mahogany, Spanish cedar, or other suitable materialknown to those of skill in the art. In some embodiments, such asembodiments in which the receptacle 102 and the lid 104 are made fromMDF, the interior can be covered with a veneer, such as mahogany,Spanish cedar, or other suitable veneer known to those of skill in theart, including paper veneers. The exterior surfaces of the receptacle102 and the lid 104 may be stained, painted, or covered with a veneer toprovide an attractive external appearance on the humidor 100. Theexterior of bottom 112 of receptacle 102 may be covered in velvet orother soft material to provide a nonslip surface that will not damagefurniture or other objects.

The embodiment of the humidor 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3-5comprises two hinges 106 connecting the receptacle 102 and the lid 104.In other embodiments, the receptacle 102 and the lid 104 may be attachedby a single hinge 106 or more than two hinges 106, or may not beattached by hinges. For example, lid 104 can be completely removablefrom the receptacle 102. In such an embodiment, the receptacle 102 andlid 104 can be held together by two latches or by other means known tothose of skill in the art. The hinges 106, if used, may be of any typeknown to those of skill in the art.

The retaining pieces 108 are positioned within the cavity 114 to inhibitmovement of one or more cigars 118 within the humidor 100. Various meansmay be employed for positioning retaining pieces 108 within the cavity114 so as to inhibit movement of cigars 118 within the humidor 100 andthe recess 124. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 3-6, theretaining pieces 108 are held in place by interference between theretaining pieces 108 and the sides of the cavity 114. Retaining pieces108 can be held in place by other means known to those of skill in theart.

A first retaining piece 108 a is illustrated in FIG. 1 as having alength corresponding to the width of the cavity 114 while a secondretaining piece 108 b is illustrated as having a length corresponding tothe length of the cavity 114. Each retaining piece 108 also has a widthw and thickness t as shown in FIG. 2. The width w of retaining pieces108 may be less than, equal to, or slightly greater than a standardcigar diameter. However, if the width w of retaining pieces 108 is muchgreater than a standard cigar diameter, then the cigars may be allowedto move within the humidor 100 and become damaged.

A frictional fit between a retaining piece 108 and the cavity 114 can beachieved by providing the retaining piece 108 with a length slightlygreater than the dimension of the cavity 114 at the location where theretaining piece 108 is to be positioned. In another embodiment, theretaining piece 108 can be made of a resilient material with a lengthgreater than the dimension of the cavity 114 at the location where theretaining piece 108 is to be positioned such that the retaining piece108 is deflected while being positioned within the cavity 114 thenallowed to return to its natural shape to hold the retaining piece 108within the cavity 114. In yet another embodiment, the retaining pieces108 can have a resilient member 132 at one end of retaining pieces 108,as shown in FIG. 2, or both ends of the retaining pieces 108. Theresilient member 132 can comprise leather, rubber, velvet or othersuitably resilient material. The retaining pieces 108 can comprise wood,plastic, or other suitable material known to those of skill in the art.

Movement of one or more cigars 118 within a humidor 100 can berestricted by placing one or more cigars 118 in close proximity to oneanother and to a side 110, such as side 110 a as shown in FIG. 1. Aretaining piece 108 b is positioned in close proximity to cigars 118.The close placement of cigars 118 between side 110 a and retainer piece108 b inhibits the movement of cigars 118 in a direction between side110 a and side 110 c. A second retaining piece 108 a is positioned abovethe cigars 118. The retaining piece 108 a inhibits movement of thecigars 118 in a direction between bottom 112 and top 122 or impedesmovement of the cigars 118 into recess 124, or both. Preferably, eachretaining piece 108 b that is positioned above cigars 118 is alsopositioned such that it underlies one or more cross members 126 when thelid 104 is closed such that cross member 126 provide additionalprotection against shifting of the retaining pieces 108 b and,therefore, against shifting of the cigars 118 during transportation.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cigars 118 are placed close to each other and toside 110 d. The retaining piece 108 a is positioned in close proximityto cigars 118. The close placement of cigars 118 between side 110 d andthe retaining piece 108 a inhibits movement of cigars 118 in a directionbetween side 110 b and 110 d. The retaining piece 108 b is positionedabove cigars 118. The retaining piece 108 b inhibits movement of cigars118 in a direction between bottom 112 and top 122 or impedes movement ofthe cigars 118 into recess 124, or both. Preferably, each retainingpiece 108 b that is positioned above cigars 118 is also positioned suchthat it underlies one or more cross members 126 when the lid 104 isclosed such that cross member 126 provide additional protection againstshifting of the retaining pieces 108 b and, therefore, against shiftingof the cigars 118 during transportation.

As will be recognized, FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrate an embodiment thatprovides flexibility in placing cigars of a first size along the lengthof the cavity 114 or cigars of a second size along the width of thecavity 114, while protecting the cigars in either arrangement fromdamage by movement within the humidor in two directions.

Humidor 100 can comprise a plurality of retaining pieces 108 a and/or aplurality of retaining pieces 108 b. The plurality of retaining pieces108 a and the plurality of retaining pieces 108 b can be arranged asillustrated in FIG. 4. The positioning of retaining pieces 108 in FIG. 4is similar to that illustrated in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, anadditional retaining piece 108 a is positioned between cigars 118. Anadditional retaining piece 108 b is positioned above cigars 118. Theretaining pieces 108 b are spaced apart to inhibit movement of cigars118 at multiple locations along the length of the cigars 118.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to any specific numberof retaining pieces. For example, humidor 100 can comprise one or moreretaining pieces 108 a and one or more retaining pieces 108 b for eachcigar 118 so that each cigar may be protected individually from movementwithin the humidor 100.

FIG. 5 illustrates cigars 118 as positioned within the cavity 114 nearside 110 a. A first retaining piece 108 b is positioned in closeproximity to cigars 118. Another retaining piece 108 b is positionedadjacent side 110 c. The retaining pieces 108 a are positioned abovecigars 118. The retaining pieces 108 a inhibit movement of cigars 118 ina direction between bottom 112 and top 122 or impede movement of thecigars 118 into recess 124, or both. The retaining piece 108 b can thusadvantageously support the ends of retaining pieces 108 a where theyengage side 110 c to provide additional security against shifting ofslats 108 a. Preferably, each retaining piece 108 b that is positionedabove cigars 118 is also positioned such that it underlies one or morecross members 126 when the lid 104 is closed such that cross member 126provide additional protection against shifting of the retaining pieces108 b and, therefore, against shifting of the cigars 118 duringtransportation.

FIG. 6 is cross-sectional view of the humidor 100 along line 6-6 of FIG.5 with lid 104 in a closed position. FIG. 6 illustrates an embodimentincluding cross members 126, wherein the width w of retaining pieces 108b and the thickness t of retaining piece 108 a are togetherapproximately equal to the distance between the bottom 134 of the crossmembers 126 and the bottom 112. If the width w of retaining piece 108 band the thickness t of retaining piece 108 a together exceed thedistance between the bottom 134 of the cross members 126 and the bottom112 then the lid 104 may not be permitted to close completely in somearrangements or the cigars can be crushed and damaged. Contact or closeproximity of the cross members 126 to the retaining pieces 108 placedabove the cigars 118 when and the lid 104 is closed can provideadditional security against shifting of the retaining pieces 108 placedabove the cigars and, therefore, against shifting of the cigars 118during transportation.

In other embodiments, the width w of the retaining members 108 b and thethickness t of retaining members 108 a are together less than thedistance between the bottom 134 of the cross members 126 and the bottom112. However, the diameter of cigars 118 and the thickness t ofretaining pieces 108 a are preferably approximately equal to or slightlyless than the distance between the cross members 126 and the bottom 112to avoid damage to the cigars 118 when the lid 104 is closed.

While the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 3-6 illustrate only a single layerof cigars 118 within cavity 114, the present invention is so limited.The cavity 114 can have a depth sufficient to accommodate multiplelayers of cigars, for example, two, three or more layers of cigars. Insuch an embodiment, one or more retaining pieces 108 can be positionedwithin the cavity 114 to prevent movement of the cigars 118 in eachlayer in a direction between the sides, while one or more otherretaining pieces 108 can be positioned above each layer of cigars, forexample.

In some embodiments, humidor 100 can also comprise one or more fillersthat can be positioned within the cavity 114 between the ends of cigars118 and a side of the receptacle, for example, referring to FIG. 4,between the cigars 118 and side 110 a. Such fillers can have anysuitable size and shape to fill the space between then end of a cigar118 and a side of the receptacle 102. For example, the fillers can havea round, rectangular or other cross-sectional shape. The fillers canhave a dimension that corresponds to the diameter of a cigar 118.Humidor 100 can comprise a plurality of fillers of various lengths,and/or a plurality of fillers with a relatively short length that can beplaced adjacently to one another as necessary to fill the space betweenthe ends of the cigars 118 and a side of the receptacle 102. The fillerscan be made of foam, wood, plastic or other material.

Although the invention has been disclosed in the context of certainpreferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond thespecifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodimentsand/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalentsthereof. In addition, while several variations of the invention havebeen shown and described in detail, other modifications, which arewithin the scope of the invention, will be readily apparent to those ofskill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is also contemplatedthat various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific featuresand aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within thescope of the invention. It should be understood that various featuresand aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with orsubstituted for one another in order to form varying modes of thedisclosed invention. Thus, it is intended that the scope of at leastsome of the embodiments of the present invention herein described shouldnot be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above.

1. A humidor, comprising: a receptacle comprising a bottom and first,second, third, and fourth sides; the receptacle having a cavity thereindefined at least in part by the bottom and sides, the first side andsecond side being substantially parallel, the distance between the firstside and second side defining a cavity length, the third and fourthsides being substantially parallel, the distance between the third andfourth sides defining a cavity width; a lid sized to cover the cavity; afirst retaining piece that is repositionable along the cavity length andconfigured to resist displacement once positioned such that movement ofone or more cigars within the humidor is inhibited in a first direction;and a second retaining piece that is repositionable along the cavitywidth and configured to resist displacement once positioned such thatmovement of one or more cigars within the humidor is inhibited in asecond direction.
 2. The humidor of claim 1, wherein the first directionis generally toward the lid.
 3. The humidor of claim 1, wherein thesecond direction is generally along the cavity width.
 4. The humidor ofclaim 1, wherein the first retaining piece has a width, the firstretaining piece being positionable within the cavity such that the widthis oriented either substantially vertically or substantiallyhorizontally.
 5. The humidor of claim 1, wherein the first retainingpiece has a length corresponding to the cavity width such that the firstretaining piece frictionally engages the third side and fourth side toresist displacement.
 6. The humidor of claim 5, wherein the firstretaining piece includes a piece of resilient material at least one endof the first retaining piece.
 7. The humidor of claim 6, wherein theresilient material is leather.
 8. The humidor of claim 1, wherein thelength is slightly greater than a first standard cigar length and thewidth is slightly greater than a second standard cigar length.
 9. Thehumidor of claim 1, wherein the lid further comprises a recess and atleast one cross member substantially spanning the recess.
 10. Thehumidor of claim 9, further comprising at least a second cross membersubstantially spanning the recess.
 11. The humidor of claim 9, whereinthe first retaining piece has a height and the second retaining piecehas a thickness, the height of the first retaining piece and thethickness of the second retaining piece together being no greater thanthe distance between the cross member and the bottom of the receptacle.12. A humidor for transportation of one or more cigars, comprising: areceptacle having a cavity therein; a first repositionable means forinhibiting movement of one or more cigars in a first direction withinthe humidor; and a second repositionable means for inhibiting movementof one or more cigars in a second direction within the humidor.
 13. Thehumidor of claim 12, wherein the first repositionable means comprises aslat.
 14. The humidor of claim 13, wherein the first repositionablemeans further comprises a resilient material at least one end of theslat.
 15. The humidor of claim 12, wherein the first direction isgenerally vertical and the second direction is generally horizontal. 16.A method for restricting movement of one or more cigars within a humidorhaving a cavity therein to receive the one or more cigars, comprisingthe steps of: positioning at least a first retaining piece within thecavity to inhibit movement of one or more cigars in a first direction;positioning at least a second retaining piece within the cavity toinhibit movement of one or more cigars in a second direction.
 17. Themethod of claim 16, wherein the first direction is generally verticaland the second direction is generally horizontal.
 18. The method ofclaim 16, wherein the first retaining piece is positioned such that theone or more cigars are snugly positioned between a side of the cavityand the first retaining piece.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein thesecond retaining piece is positioned such that the one or more cigarsare snugly positioned between a bottom of the cavity and the secondretaining piece.
 20. The method of claim 16, further comprisingpositioning a third retaining piece within the cavity to inhibitmovement of the one or more cigars in the first direction.
 21. Themethod of claim 16, wherein the second retaining piece is positioned soas to substantially abut the first retaining piece.
 22. The method ofclaim 16, further comprising closing a lid of the humidor such that atleast one cross member within the lid inhibits dislocation of one of thefirst retaining piece or the second retaining piece in a directiontoward the lid.